Motor-vehicle frame.



No. 667,909. Patented Feb. I2, |991. W. A. HATCHER & J. W. PACKARD.

MOTOR VEHICLE FRAME.

(Application led June 26, 1900.)

me nofws Penas on. PwruLrrno.. wssummon, n c.

nifrn tarn Farsi l I CE.

WILLIAM A. IIATCHER AND JAMES W. PACKARD, OF VARREN, OHIO; SAID I-IATOHER ASSIGNOR TO SAID PACKARD.

lillO'l'OHml/El-HCLIE FRAME.

SPECIFICATIM forming part of Letters Patent No. 667,909, dated February 12, 1901. Application led June 26,1900. Serial No. 21,647. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it my 007106770: spectively provided with rearwardly and for- Beit known that we, WILLIAM A. HATCHER wardly projecting` studs 8. These are shown and JAMES WV. PACKARD, citizens of the as being formed on the enlarged end sections United States, residing at Warren, in the or sleeves 4E of the front axle and the sleeves 55 5 county of Trumbull and State of Ohio, have 6 on the rear axle and each has a concave invented certain new and useful Improveseat or recess formed in its free end and a ments in Motor-Vehicle Frames, of which the suitable thread formed on its exterior surfollowing is a specification. face. Pins 9 are suitably secured within the Our invention relates to an improvement ends of the tubular reachebars and each has 6o io in vehicle-frames or running-gear, and para spherical head l0, which lies beyond the ticularly to improvements in the frames of end of the tubular portion of the reach and motor-vehicles. is of such size as to fit closely in one of the The object of the invention is to provide a concave seats formed as aforesaid in the ends fraine of simple and cheap construction havof the axle-studs S. The ball-like heads at 65 i5 ing its parts so constructed and related to the ends of the reaclrbais are held against each other that the frame will readily acco1nthe seats provided therefor on the axles by inodate itself to irregular and rough surfaces means of retaining sleeves ll. These are and at the saine time maintain the wheels and provided with internal threads, so that they axles in proper running relation. can be screwed upon the axle-studs 8, and 7o 2o Theinvention willbeparticularlydescribed are adapted to surround the heads 10, as hereinafter in connection with the accomshown. In constructingthe frame above depanying drawings, in which scribed the pins 9 are first passed through the Figure l is a plan View of the frame of a retaining-sleeves ll and then inserted in and 1notorvehicle embodying ourimproveinents. secured within the tubular sections of the 75 25 Fig. 2 is adetail view, partlyin section, on the reach-bars. Preferably the pins 9 are brazed line 2 2 of Fig. 3 of one of the flexible joints. to thetubes 3,and the spherical head is formed Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line integral with the body of the pin, as shown in 3 3 of Fig. l is a detail View showing Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. If desired, a slightly-modified construction. however, the pins and tubes may be united 8o 3o Referring to the drawings, it will be seen by means of rivets or cross-pins l2, and the that our improved motor-vehicle frame coinhead lO can be formed separate from the pin prises front and rear axles l 2, which are conand afterward riveted thereto, as shown in nected by suitable longitudinal reach-bars 3. Fig. 4. The forward wheels a are suitably connected From the drawings and the above descrip- 85 g5 with the forward axle, being in the embodition it will be seen that the reach-bars are ment of the invention herein illustrated pivthus connected to both axles by ball-and otally connected to enlarged end sections e socket joints, so that either axle is free to viof said axle. rIhe rear wheels 5 are suitably brate vertically independent of the other. mounted upon the ends of the rear axle, and The retaining-sleeves I3 serve to hold the 9o 4o springs o' are mounted on sleeves 6', which ball-like heads l0 in their seats on the axles, surround the rear axle 2 adjacent to said and by adjusting said sleeves on the studs wheels. A frame 7 is connected to and prothe joints can be keptproperly tightened and jects forward from the rniddle or central porany wearing of the parts compensated. The tion of the rear axle and is adapted to snpjoints are held in adjustment by lock-nuts 95 45 port more er less of the driving-gear. (Not l5. To brace the frame against lateral disshown.) tortion, we provide the diagonally-extending The reach-bars 3, which are preferably brace-rods 13. These brace-rods are rigidly made from suitable tubing, have their ends connected at their forward ends to the reachconnected to the axles l 2 by ball-and-soclet bars 3 by couplings 14, and their rear ends 10o 5o or universal joints. These joints may be are connected with the rear axle through the formed in several ways. The axles l 2 are reforwardlyprojecting frame 7 by universal -time have sufficient rigidity horizontally.

For instance, any one of the Wheels may rise or fall in passing an elevation or depression in the road without affecting the other Wheels or straining the connecting-frame. The construction is also comparatively cheap and the joints are all simply and easily adjusted to take up Wear and prevent rattling,

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a motor-vehicle frame, the combination of the front and rear axles, two reachbars extending from the front axle to the rear axle and connected to both axles by universal joints, and two diagonal braces each connected rigidly to an intermediate portion of a reach-bar at one end and connected by a universal joint to an intermediate portion of the rear axle at its other end.

2. In a motor-vehicle frame, the combination of the front and rear axles, a forwardlyprojecting frame connected to the middle of the rear axle, reach-bars connected at their ends to the axles by universal joints, and braces each connected rigidly to a reach-bar at one end and having its other end connected with the. forwardly-extending frame on the rear axle by a universal joint.

3. In a motor-vehicle frame, the combination of an axle, a threaded stud secured at one end to the axle and having a concave seat or recess formed in its free end, a reachbar having at one end a ball-like projection adapted to t in said seat formed in the axlestud, and a threaded retaining-sleeve tting said stud and engaging With the ball at the end of the reach-bar to hold the saine to its seat on the stud.

4. In a vehicle-frame, the combination of axles having studs projecting therefrom provided With ball seats or sockets in their free ends, tubular reach-bars, balls secured to the ends of said reach-bars and adapted to lit said seats or sockets in the axle-studs, and sleeves adjustably connected to the axlestuds and engaging with the balls at the ends of the reach-bars to hold the same in their sockets.

5. In a motor-vehicle frame, the combination of the front and rear axles, the frame 7 projecting forwardly from the rear axle, the threaded studs rigidly connected to the front and rear axles and to said frame, the reachbars having balls connected to their ends, the threaded sleeves connecting said balls With the studs on the axles, the diagonal brace-rods having their outer ends connected rigidly With intermediate portions of the respective reach-bars, balls connected by the inner ends of said brace-rods, and threaded sleeves connecting said balls with the studs upon said frame.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM A. IIATCHER. JAMES WV. PACKARD.

Witnesses:

M. S. ANDREWS, RoB'r. E. GORTON. 

